AN APPRECIATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1926, Page 1

AN APPRECIATION.

(Contributed.)

On Saturday last at the Westland Hospital Death claimed one of the finest characters it lias been my good fortune to have ever met. Mr Arthur Finch, known to his intimates as “ Mae,” was indeed one of Nature’s gentlemen. The Homans used to say: “Do mortuvis nihil nisi bonum,” which means—concerning the dead have nothing hut good to say. I would just like to say that iu my humble opinion not one who had the privilege of knowing the late Mr Finch could, if they tried, break the Roman injunction. For some years I have had the pleasure of knowing him well and the biggest fault I have known him, to commit was to drop off to sleep after an honest day’s toil and leave this reading lamp burning all night. At an early age, indeed when most of the boys of to-day are getting ready for High School, Mac had to go to hard work for very low wages. Wherever lie went lie did his work well and was implicitly relied on by his employers. Tie spent most of his time at mill work in the Araliura district, hut ho was capable of rising above tho temptations incidental to the hard life of the bush. The slogan that ho acted up to through all was— 11 Moderation in all tilings.”. His spare time was well utilised in his kitchen garden or in work about the home. His recreations were the pictures or a play occasionally, rending. the violin and the fishing line. I join with many others in tendering his relatives sineercst sympathy. May his soul rest in peace.